In order to better adapt airbags to their application purpose and concurrently to shorten the time needed for an airbag to assume its final position, the gas used for inflating the airbag is systematically divided into individual gas flows that are then fed in different directions into various inflatable sections of an airbag, formed by, for example, various chambers.
For this purpose, gas-guiding elements may be formed in the airbag itself. Further, separate components may be used into which the gas generator is inserted and that are provided, for instance, with differently oriented outflow nozzles. However, this configuration calls for additional work steps and a greater construction effort which ultimately makes the airbag module more expensive.
Moreover, when it comes to gas generators, it must be observed that the regulations of the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-Prüfung (BAM) [German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing] require that, if a gas generator is ignited outside of the vehicle, for example, during transportation, it must behave thrust-neutrally, that is to say, it may not generate any momentum when the gas-generating material contained therein burns.
It is an object of the invention to create a thrust-neutral gas generator that is easy to accommodate in an airbag module.